Vaccination outreach for St. Peters on April 27

POSTED: 04/11/11 12:16 PM

St. Maarten – The Department of Youth Health Care (YHC) within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is planning a vaccination outreach for the residents of St. Peters on April 27. The outreach will be held at the Rupert I. Maynard Youth Community Center from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Staff will be present to give vaccinations and to also check the vaccination status of children.

The outreach event is being organized as part of the annual Vaccination Week of the Americas which takes place from April 23 – 30 and is being held under the theme, “Vaccinate your Family, Protect Your Community.”

YHC has changed its vaccination schedule and all children between four and nine-years of age will now get their second Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine at four years of age. The DTPolio vaccination will continue to be given when the child is nine-years of age. Other changes in the vaccination schedule apply to children between two and 12 months of age.

Parents are reminded to make sure that their children between the ages of 0 – 17 are up to date with their vaccinations, which are necessary in order to reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. DTP, MMR and catch-up Hepatitis B vaccines will be given to children who are not up to date.

Immunization is a way of protecting children against serious vaccine preventable diseases. Once a person has been fully vaccinated, their bodies can fight those diseases if one comes into contact with them. Parents should bring along their child’s vaccination booklet/card. If you are not sure of the status of your child, you should contact your general practitioner, pediatrician, or YHC for children up to four years of age.

The outreach follows the department’s participation in the Lion’s Club’s 3rd Annual Health and Wellness Fair in the Festival Village. The event was used to provide information to parents and individuals about vaccinations. The YHC was out in full force at the fair with representatives from the dental unit as well as a nutritionist from the Ministry. There were also many queries for the dentist about oral health.